1.12.1739 One of the first
engineering projects to feature in the minutes of the River Lee Trust
was William Whittenbury's estimate of £273 for a turnpike at Broadmead
in Hertford, although it is not clear whether this refersto the Upper or the Lower Turnpike. (NA Rail 845/1).

28.1.1742/3 "Complaint...that
Several persons have got ffalse Keys to the Turnpike House belonging to
the Lower Turnpike....and therewith open the said Turnpike House and
draw and shut the said Turnpike at their will and pleasure to the
Hindrance and Delay of the passage of Boats and Barges navigating the
said River Lee. And on their Prayer that the said lock may be taken off
and a new one placed thereon and that the said Turnpike may be placed
under the care of one Thomas Yearsley (who used to look after the
same)..." (NA 845/53)

The third weir
on the original River course was Constance’s or Constans or Constant’s
or Consett’s fishing weir This weir was rebuilt by Hertford
carpenter Mr Orger in November 1752. He had also built a "small
house.... for the use of the Weirkeeper." (NA Rail 845/1)

1.7.1767 The Trustees
ordered Thomas Yeoman their Surveyor to proceed to extend the
Navigation....from the Folly to the Flood Gates belonging to Hertford
Town Mill. (NA Rail 845/50)

When was Hertford Lock
first built?

Hertford Lock is thought to have been built
originally in 1769, on an extension of the Dicker Mill Stream, replacing the Upper and Lower Turnpikes and
Constant's Weir.

An entry of 18.7.1779 however confuses matters: "...it is ordered
that Mr Edgerly who now proposed to build the Lock at the End of the Cut
near Ware Park Mills for the sum of two hundred and forty three pounds
do build the same according to Mr Whitworth's Plan and particular and
his own Proposal for the same under the Inspection and to the
Approbation of Mr Whitworth he being paid one hundred pounds on Account
of the same as Mr Whitworth shall certify during the carrying on of the
said work and the remainder of his Estimate at the first meeting of this
Trust after Christmas next." (NA
Rail 845/51)

2.7.1785 "...it
is necessary that the upper Turnpike at Hertford be rebuilt as a
Tumbling Bay and it is ordered that the Clerk ...do wait on Lady
Townsend for leave to rebuild the same in her Ground paralel (sic) with
the present Turnpike" (NA
Rail 845/51)

On 20.2.1792, it was
minuted that new gates should be fitted to Hertford Lock (NA
Rail 845/6) and
again on 26.10.1803, that “New gates be prepared for the Upper Lock near
Hertford” (NA Rail 845/7). On 29.7.1819, yet again it was recommended
for repair with “new gates, posts and slacker frames”. (NA
Rail 845/9)

On 27th April
1865,
it was proposed that Hertford Lock be rebuilt to a width of 18’ 6’’ -
despite the next lock downstream at Ware being only 14’ wide. The
reason seems to have been to be ready for the time when all the Lee
locks were rebuilt to provide an 18’ 6’’ standard all the way from Old
Ford to Hertford. Between 24th July
and 5 p.m. on the 11th December 1865, the chamber was rebuilt by Mr C E
Birt of Poplar to a width of 18’ 6’’ at a tendered price of £4722

It was recommended on
26.10. 1877 “that a lock house be built in front of the lock”. (NA
Rail 845/21).

LMA ACC 2423/355

Although the plan
below specifies Tottenham Lock, August 1881, the design is similar to the lock house built at Hertford three years earlier, which is
still there today. At Hertford the accommodation is reversed, with the
scullery and bedroom on the ground floor exchanging places and the
pantry and stairs the other way round.

LMA ACC 2423/P016

20.4.1883 The new lock house was insured
for £250 (NA Rail 845/23).
The old lock house was demolished in December 1887. (NA
Rail 845/24).

This drawing specifies no particular lock
but the date is concurrent with the building of the lock house at
Hertford.

LMA ACC 2423/P010

On 14.10.1910, it was reported "That the
old privy at this lock had been removed and an earth closet substituted,
and that the fencing, etc., was being repainted (NA
Rail 845/37). However, the building is still there. The
privy/earth closet shows traces of the wooden seat and the mark of the
bucket can still be seen on the concrete floor.

Hertford Lock, c. 1905

A 60 feet long
modern mural of the view from in front of the old Ware Park Mill,
looking up towards Hertford Lock and downstream past the New River Gauge
House, painted by members of the
Hertford Art
Society in 2009 on the hoardings of the former Waters garage in
Hertford.

Hertford Lock

Census/ Date

Name

Title

Wife

Location given by enumerator/Comments

Source Reference

5.1948

E D Robinson

Lock keeper

Appointed at £4.15.0; tenant from
7.11.1948; £4.18.6 on 2.8.1950; Last recorded r.o.p
££7.14.11 plus on call allowance n.d;

LCB Records

6.10.1939

Henry Silver

Lock keeper

Appointed 29.7.1939 at26/- per week and house and uniform

NA Rail 845/123

16.9.1939

E Dale (65)

Lock keeper

65 on 2.7.1939, to retire. Pension 6/6 per week plus £45.5.5 lump sum

NA Rail 845/123

1.4.1938

E Dale

Lock keeper

£1.6.0 to £1.8.0

NA Rail 845/122

14.3.1924

E Dale (48)

Lock keeper

Ex-soldier, appointed at 26/- per week with house and uniform

NA Rail 845/108

17.2.1924

14.3.1924

29.1.1937

John Campkin

Lock keeper

Died aged 73, leaving a widow (64) and grown up family. Widow had been
married 43 years and had 5 sons in the War, 3 of whom were
killed. Pension of 10/- per week until she is 70. Continued for life. Mrs Charlotte Campkin died aged 77

NA Rail 845/108

NA Rail 845/108

LMA ACC
2423/021

NA Rail 845/121

14.11.1919

J Campkin

Lock keeper

26/- + house, garden, and uniform

NA Rail 845/46

1.12.1916

J Campkin

Lock keeper

£2 war bonus

NA Rail 845/43

4.3.1915

J Campkin

Lock keeper

+2/- per week

NA Rail 845/42

1.3.1914

J Campkin

Lock keeper

1/- increase

NA Rail 845/41

14.12.1913

John Campkin

Lock keeper

Appointed ex Kings Weir

NA Rail 845/40

21.1.1913

George Biscoe (71)

Lock keeper

Died this day

NA Rail 845/40

1912

George Biscoe

Lock keeper

15/- per week

NA Rail 845

2.4.1911

George Biscoe (69)

Lock keeper

Emma

Hertford Lock

RG14PN7630 RG78PN374 RD137 SD2 ED10 SN269

9.7.1910

George Biscoe

Lock keeper

Appointed ex Aqueduct Lock

NA Rail 845/37

20.3.1910

Thomas Jones (66)

Lock keeper

Died after 22 years service. Left widow (64) who had no means and
savings were exhausted through husband’s illness and funeral
expenses (granted a pension of 7/- per week)

Mrs Jones died 23.12.1916

NA Rail 845/37

LMA ACC 2423/016

31.3.1901

Thomas Jones (57)

Lock keeper

Sarah

Lock Cottage

Hertford St John/15/39

5.4.1891

Thomas Jones (44)

Lock keeper

Sarah

Kings Meads Lock House

Hertford St John/15/8

27.9.1889

T Jones

12/- up to 15/-

NA Rail 845/24

20.7.1888

T Jones

Lock keeper

Appointed at survey

NA Rail 845/24

9.12.1887

John Winn

Lock keeper

Deceased. Sum of £5 paid towards the funeral and Mrs Winn to have 5/-
per week for 3 months

NA Rail 845/24

LMA ACC 2423/003

20.4.1883

J Winn

Lock keeper

16 years service 16/- per week

NA Rail 845/23

4.4.1881

John Winn (64)

Lock keeper

Susan

Kings Meads

Hertford St John/15/49

4.4.1881

Unoccupied

Lock keeper

Old Lock House

Hertford St John/15/49

4.6.1873

John Winn

Lock keeper

Appointed at 16/- per week ex labourer and pile driver (since about
1863)

NA Rail 845/19

29.5.1873

John Smith

Lock keeper

Died from "softening of the brain" (Death Certificate). Long time invalid, work done by wife
(Ann, who became a Lee Conservancy pensioner) and child
(Rebecca)

NA Rail 845/19 and Mike Thorpe (g-g-g-grandson)

2.6.1871

John Smith

Lock keeper

Transferred from Stanstead at 13/6 per week

NA Rail 845/18

2.6.1871

John Chandler

Transferred to Waltham (Town) at 16/- per week

NA Rail 845/18

2.4.1871

John Chandler (34)

Lock keeper

Jane

Lock Cottage

Hertford St John/6/43

9.4.1868

John Chandler

Lock keeper

Appointed at 13/- per week

NA Rail 845/16

12.3.1868

Richard Crawley (Jnr)

Transferred to Aqueduct Lock

NA Rail 845/16

12.4.1866

Richard Crawley (Jnr)

"and that his son Richard Crawley Junior
be appointed as Lockman in his place at Thirteen Shillings per
week"

NA Rail 845/16

12.4.1866

Richard Crawley

"had become incapable of performing the
duties of the situation, in consequence of ill health, and that
he was desirous of retiring after Thirty two years
service....that he be allowed to retire and receive a pension of
ten shillings per week..."

NA Rail 845/16

8.4.1861

Richard Crawley (56)

Lock keeper

Ann

Lock House, River Lea

Hertford St John/6/28

17.11.1855

Richard Crawley

Lock keeper

16/- per week. Also keeps daily record of water passing the Marble
Gauge

NA Rail 845/14

21.10.1854

Richard Crawley

Lock keeper

16/- per week

NA Rail 845/14

30.3.1851

Richard Crawley (45)

Lock keeper

Ann

The Meads

Hertford St John/5b/27

1844

Richard Crawley

Lock keeper

Appointed

derived from NA Rail 845/16

7.6.1841

No Hertford record in Census

21.3.1837

James Weston

Lock keeper

Appointed

NA Rail 845/11

21.3.1837

(Henry)William Willburn

Lock keeper

Sarah

Transferred to Hackney Brick

NA Rail 845/11

20.12.1831

Henry Willburn

Lock keeper

Appointed

NA Rail 845/10

15.11.1831

Samuel Savill

Lock keeper

Died

NA Rail 845/10

5.12.1816

Samuel Savill

Lock keeper

Appointed in room of Worrell

NA Rail 845/9

7.11.1816

Stephen Worrell

Lock keeper

Resigned

NA Rail 845/9

10.10 1816

Stephen Worrell

Lock keeper

Appointed to replace John Windus

NA Rail 845/9

10.10.1816

John Windus

Lock keeper

Deceased* see below

NA Rail 845/9

. * “It is ordered that the Widow of John Windus the Lock Keeper near
Hertford be allowed ‘till next Saturday sennight to continue in
the Lock Keeper’s House now”

5.4.1807

John Windus

Lock keeper

Appointed

NA Rail 845/8

5.4.1807

Francis Godfrey

Lock keeper

Left

NA Rail 845/8

26.7.1779

James Shadbolt

Hertford to Ware £26 pa

NA Rail 845/5

3.6.1776

James Shadbolt

To look after Hertford to Ware at 10/- per week

NA Rail 845/5

29.9.1773
“James Shadbolt be paid eight shillings a week
for looking
after the Navigation near Hertford and the Upper Turnpike there”

(NA Rail
845/5)

10.12.1771

James Shadbolt

To look after Hertford to Ware at 5/- per week

NA Rail 845/4

28.6.1770

James Shadbolt

"...the keeper of Constant's Weir be
discharged from such his place at the end of a month to come and
that the house wherein he lives be pulled down and laid by
for the use of the Trust"

NA Rail 845/50

12.10.1767

James Shadbolt

The keeper of Constants Weir...shall be
paid eight shillings a week for his Care and Trouble therein
from the first day of July last.

NA Rail 845/50

13.12.1752

James Shadbolt

Agreed to also look after and scour the River between
Hertford
and Ware Bridge for no extra pay.

NA Rail 845/2

3.11.1750

James Shadbolt

Employed by "the Mayor and Alderman of Hertford.... for opening
and shutting the said Weir and Collecting the Tolls"

NA Rail 845/1

28.1.1742/3

Thomas Yearsley

(who used to look after the Lower
Turnpike) (see above at the head of the page)